West Hartford Elementary Schools Celebrate Fall Harvest with Farmers Markets

From West Hartford Public Elementary Schools:

Autumn conjures thoughts of a bounty of healthy, seasonal produce such as apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, pears, squash, carrots and winter greens. West Hartford students will celebrate foods of the fall harvest with student-run Farmers Markets held at West Hartford elementary schools on October 20, while Smith STEM School will hold theirs on October 21. The markets are coordinated by the community-based non-profit, Growing Great Schools (GGS), and are meant to teach students about local farm offerings and sustainable food systems.

Parents and staff are invited to stop by their school’s market at dismissal on October 20 and purchase fresh, organic produce, as well as local honey and breads. Parent volunteers will pick-up the goods the morning of the markets and students will sell them at their individual schools at the end of the school day. Suppliers include Oxen Hill Farm, Urth Farm, Sub-Edge Farm, George Hall Farm, High Hill Orchard, Stonewall Apiary, Hartford Baking Company and La Petite France in West Hartford Center.

“The farmers’ markets help to teach children life-long lessons about healthy food and where it comes from,” says Liz Isaacs, who is a GGS board member and co-chair of the farm to school committee. “Kids are often more likely to try fresh fruits and vegetables when they learn about where they come from and their benefits. And when we buy from farms in our community we support the local economy.”

As part of the farmers markets GGS has made a commitment to donate at each fall and spring market $600 toward food bags to be sent home with children of families in need.

“Part of our mission at GGS is to provide equal access to healthy food to all children in the district,” says Melissa Cyr, who is a GGS board member and Ms. Isaacs’ co-chair on the farm to school committee. “Sending home free food bags with students is one of the ways we try to bridge the gap.”

Each school puts a different spin on the market based on what works for their community. Some schools offer crafts like pumpkin painting, some sell after-school snacks like popcorn and granola, while others feature cooking demonstrations. In addition to selling goods from local farms, several of the schools will feature a local chef, who is part of the GGS Chef to School program. The chefs will be sampling and selling seasonal products they have prepared in their restaurant kitchens with these proceeds also going back to the schools’ health and wellness efforts. GGS community partner ShopRite has generously donated sweet potatoes for the students to sample during the markets. ShopRite sponsored veggie tastings expose kids to different vegetables in an effort to increase vegetable intake.

This year Chipotle Mexican Grill will be visiting select markets to teach kids how to prepare its fresh guacamole and providing samples. Chipotle offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through its vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food by using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that – where possible – are sustainably grown and raised responsibly with respect for the animals, the land and the farmers who produce the food.

To celebrate National Food Day on Monday, October 24 GGS will be partnering with Chipotle for a fundraising event. Participants who visit one of the two West Hartford Chipotle locations between 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on October 24 and mention the GGS fundraiser at checkout will have 50 percent of the cost of their total order donated to GGS. The funds raised will support GGS in its continued efforts to work in local communities to create a culture of wellness for kids and families.

Growing Great Schools, Inc. inspires communities to create a culture of wellness by connecting food, health and the environment. The vision of Growing Great Schools is to empower students and their families to become active participants in their nutritional and physical health, while caring for the planet.

Photo courtesy of Pixabay